The present disclosure relates generally to scaffolds and method(s) of forming the same.
Cardiovascular disease is one of the leading causes of mortality in the United States. Large-diameter (i.e., inner diameter being greater than 6 mm) blood vessels have been successfully replaced with nondegradable polymeric materials such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE); however, these materials are not natural tissues. When these materials are used for small-diameter (i.e., inner diameter being less than 6 mm) blood vessels, poor patency may result due to thrombosis and hyperplasia. Attempts have been made to engineer biodegradable polymer scaffolds to replace the non-natural material vessels.